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20 iconic celebrity cameos on 'Sex and the City'

The adventures of Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte made for some of the most iconic television of the 1990s. Based on the book by Candace Bushnell, Sex and the City broke barriers and won over audiences as the characters navigated life, love, and living in the big city.

At the same time, Sex and the City was also a great way for budding actors to launch their careers, and several actors who are household names made an appearance on the show. Flip through the slideshow below for 20 of the most memorable celebrity cameos on Sex and the City , from Carrie Fisher's appearance to Bradley Cooper's first-ever major acting role. 

1 of 20

Heidi Klum

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In the second episode of SATC's fourth season, supermodel Heidi Klum appeared in a scene that, of course, involved a fashion show. She's there to offer Carrie some words of encouragement after she fell while walking in her first-ever runway show. 

2 of 20

Lucy Liu

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Celebrity publicist Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall) takes advantage of her connection with actress Lucy Liu, who plays herself in the episode, to score a coveted Hermes Birkin handbag in season 4's 11th episode. 

3 of 20

Matthew McConaughey

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In season three, heartthrob actor Matthew McConaughey appears as himself, hoping to option the book based on Carrie's titular column into a film. He comes on a little too strong and has weird ideas about translating her words to the big screen. 

4 of 20

Candice Bergen

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Murphy Brown star Candice Bergen made three different appearances on Sex and the City as Enid Frick, Carrie's supportive, if straightforward, editor at the fictional New York Star. Bergen's also slated to make a comeback in the show's spin-off, And Just Like That.

5 of 20

Carrie Fisher

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In season 3, Carrie Bradshaw meets Carrie Fisher after a wild trip to LA, where she discovers that she's been partying in the Star Wars legend's home with a man she met on the trip, who she believes to be a successful agent, but in reality, is Fisher's assistant. 

6 of 20

Vince Vaughn

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And, of course, the man that Carrie is hooking up with in Carrie Fisher's home in season 3 is played by none other than Vince Vaughn himself. 

7 of 20

Hugh Hefner

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It seems only reasonable that the man who brought sex into the mainstream culture would appear in Sex and the City. Hefner makes a cameo in season 3 when Samantha fulfills a lifelong dream by meeting him...and bringing the girls to a party at the Playboy Mansion. 

8 of 20

Heather Graham

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Carrie learns that her ex, Aidan, is bad-mouthing her when she runs into Heather Graham, who plays herself in the cameo, in the show's fifth season. Carrie and her BFF Stanford Blatch run into Graham on the street, and it just so happens that she's friends with Aidan's new girlfriend. Awkward! 

9 of 20

Alanis Morissette

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Nineties rocker Alanis Morissette makes a cameo in one of Sex and the City's most controversial episodes. In season 3, she ends up sharing a kiss with Carrie during a game of spin-the-bottle, which mortifies Carrie enough that she never speaks to the boyfriend who invited her to the party ever again. 

10 of 20

Molly Shannon

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In 2002, Molly Shannon made an appearance on Sex and the City, playing a publisher interested in turning Carrie's sex advice columns into a book. Carrie's a little overwhelmed at the prospect, but Shannon's character is convinced that the book will be a hit. 

11 of 20

Amy Sedaris

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In that same episode, Amy Sedaris joins an editor played by guest star Molly Shannon as one-half of this all-woman duo of "publishing powerhouses." 

12 of 20

Will Arnett

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Will Arnett appears in SATC's second season as a guy that Miranda's dating who has a strong affinity for having sex in public places. Miranda's not into it, so Arnett's character doesn't stick around for long.  

13 of 20

Kristen Johnson

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In one of the most shocking episodes of Sex and the City, Kristen Johnson of 3rd Rock From The Sun fame appears as hard-partying socialite Lexi, a friend of the group's who falls to her death at a party after complaining about how "boring" New York City had become in the '90s. 

14 of 20

Jennifer Coolidge

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Now a bonafide icon, Jennifer Coolidge was still probably best known as Stifler's mom from American Pie when she appeared on Sex and the City in 2003. Perhaps not surprisingly, she's on hand to deliver some of the episode's funniest lines. 

15 of 20

Margaret Cho

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In the infamous runway episode that also features a cameo from Heidi Klum, Margaret Cho plays Carrie's friend Lynn, who convinces her to engage in the fateful catwalk strut that ends in total embarrassment. 

16 of 20

Bradley Cooper

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In season 2 of SATC, fans catch a glimpse of Bradley Cooper's Oscar-winning mug for the first time on screen. It was his first major acting role, in which he played a bar-goer who helped Carrie make her way through a rough night of obsessing over her future. 

17 of 20

Jon Bon Jovi

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Jon Bon Jovi makes one appearance on Sex and the City in the show's second season, playing a man who Carrie meets in her therapist's office before going on one what has to be one of the worst dates in history. 

18 of 20

Jim Gaffigan

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Jim Gaffigan brought a little comic relief to his Sex and the City cameo, playing a guy that Miranda's dating who refuses to close the door when he goes to the bathroom. Perhaps not surprisingly, type-A Miranda was not charmed by his behavior. 

19 of 20

Sarah Michelle Gellar

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At the height of her celebrity, Sarah Michelle Gellar played a small role in Sex and the City's third season, starring as a shady film executive who wants to help Carrie turn her columns into a film. 

20 of 20

David Duchovny

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This X-Files star appears in an episode of Sex and the City as Carrie's high school boyfriend. They briefly reunite until she realizes he's in New York City because he's receiving treatment at a mental health facility and is not quite prepared to take on a new relationship. 

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